







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | |
| Nothing, 'cause I don't know what the woman looks like. | |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | |
| Girls, this is Diego. | |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | |